The new Integrated will have 5U4 tube rectification but no tube voltage regulation like the Mini Torii, it's just too expensive. It is using a 5963 / 12AU7 input tube for each channel, whereas before it was a 6N1P/6922

While I can and have made solid state rectification sound good, I like the reliability of the tube rectification. With solid state all you need is a voltage spike in your AC line and presto, you've blown a diode and the amp has to go back to the mothership. After repair, it can happen again tomorrow.

The tube is far tougher when it comes to spikes and if it does fail, you just put another one in and you're back in business.

Anyway, I am glad for tube rectification. I know Steve is not a fan of solid state rectifier diodes. I auditioned the now discontinued EL34 mono blocks and did not like solid state recti'. The aggregate sound of the Amp(s) IMHO is greatly affected to the negative with SS rectification and is cheap to do and sounds cheap (hard). Tube designs with it, sound like solid state to me.

I am excited about the Lucid mode for this design. I use a very adequate Adcom AC Line Enhancer (ACE-515) with my SE84CS....with very noticable improvement....deep black low noise background for the Selects detail and can't be beat (so far) Transparency.

Hi stone, I'm curious about your Adcom line enhancer device. You seem to infer it really helps reduce the floor noise and blackens silence. This is the first time I hear somebody really happy with a Power Conditioner (is it?) that is not a PS Audio plant.

I could not afford a PS Audio, so being Adcom I guess it should be more affordable? Usually, power conditioners do not convince me. I rather use an isolator transformer. But then again, I don't have any real experience with power conditioners other than what I read.

Could you confirm this line enhancer is a successful power condoitioner of sorts, and explain basically the differences you sensed before and after adding this device? I may be interested in getting one if it works and is affordable.

The isolation T. should give you plenty of surge protection and de-couple your setup from the mains raw AC. The conditioner/enhancer should fine-tune voltage (120) and frequency (60 cycles), and hopefully both units will work together in shielding RFI (the isolation T. filtering the source AC RFI and the Enhancer/Cond. the local RFI.)

A good isolation T. is easy to build, and should work fine. I have doubts about the conditioner/enhancer, though. Unless a similar concept as the one applied by PS Audio, for example, is in place, I'm not sure how the filtering would be effective at actual time of event correction, without allowing transient effects getting through your system, and without interrupting the full power flow profile demanded by your gear at the event's exact time.

PS Audio Plant's design is essentially having a first class, controlled power plant of your own (that's why it works and that's why it is so expensive!)

This means either I evidently don't know enough on the subject, or the enhancers/conditioners only do a partial job, and in many deviation events they probably fail.

Now, I'm not saying this is the way it is, but I need arguments to support picking up a presumably good line enhancing device (there are so many out there ...), that is also affordable (by affordable I mean is a fraction of the cost of what your are trying to protect).

In any event, I welcome your's and anybody else's comments and experiences. Thanks, stone ...

First off, I think the system will sound great if all components are plugged into the wall. So you can always start there, I had that happening for a while before I had any type of power strip or treatment.

Interestingly if the measurement of my PS Audio Power Plant Premier is accurate the isolation transformer I used for years was adding a bit of noise to the system, that is this amount of noise was there when the Premier was plugged into the transformer versus when the Premier was plugged into the wall. That may have been because there is a power cord on the Premier that cost more than the Transformer and just the stock captive cord on the transformer? I don't know why specifically, it could be that the transformer was a bit defective? Puzzling, and another keen-eared listener here (Rad) has noticed that the same transformer I believe imparted a signature to his system, and when I read that and listened comparatively I think he was possibly dead on.

The moral of the story may be to buy a few power cords that work well with the components?

Or the very first step might be a very-high quality wall outlet or two?

So many variables and one of us should get a government grant to study the different cords and their effect on components both signal-wise and sonics-wise.

That's why I was saying using a conditioner to filter local RFI. This local RFI may also come from the transformer itself (it was not designed with high-end audio in mind, so it may definitely release some operating buzz.)

In any event, I know the system will sound good plugged to the wall, but then you know it can improve. Steve underlines the 2:00 a.m. relatively cleaner AC for out of body listening experiences ... Simply put, end sound quality also depends on AC quality.

I just hope I can find a line enhancer that may do the trick ... As for the power cords, these may impart character or signature, but if they are well built, that's tantamount to room reflections or other sound affecting variables we'll never control totally.

I think mains' AC specs inconsistencies (voltage and cycles) and RFI are really sound damaging ... not signatures. Now I'm afraid I may need shielded power cords to shield the isolation T's own RFI emissions. Have a nice listening session, Lon

Make sure you start with a good outlet. I'm using one Steve included with his power cords for a spell.

The transformer I was using is exactly the one I've known Steve to post and write about.

Regarding power cords, I've seen some pretty informed opinions that they can be a very good remover of EMI/RFI due to filtering by wire geometry and construction and shielding, and I know one audiophile who forgoes any sort of conditioning while using fairly expensive after-market cords.There are a number of layers to this onion. Your plan sounds sound.